Right Now

By staff | July 1, 2005

Rollover DJ New musician of the moment is DJ Rus Deep, whose "tribal house" music is being heard at cool parties in venues around Sarasota. Deep is just in from New York City to start up a production event company, Plush Entertainment, which will feature music from Deep and two... Read more »

New musician of the moment is DJ Rus Deep, whose "tribal house" music is being heard at cool parties in venues around Sarasota. Deep is just in from New York City to start up a production event company, Plush Entertainment, which will feature music from Deep and two other DJs and catering from Deep's fiancée, Cloe Lorber. Born Rus Drapkin in the Ukraine, Deep earned his DJ stripes in NYC after playing in metal head bands. He plays techno every Friday at Octave in Gulf Gate and on Saturdays at Blu 1266 Lounge. www.pervertedgrooves.com.

Spruce Sound

Custom acoustical design has become the hallmark of any new intelligent home, but you want a system to complement your style rather than a concert hall. At Acoustic Couture, a new boutique audio design store on Main, owner/designer Matthew Endriss carries handmade lines of audio equipment, mostly from Europe. Using a rich design aesthetic, Endriss creates systems starting at $5,000 but has several clients spending north of $100,000 for the latest and great in sound. (941) 951-0025; by appointment only.

Architecting the Future

The AIA's NB2 will focus on designing a museum in the newly zoned cultural district along the bay. The venue will be the lofty confines of the Waterworks Building at 1015 N. Orange Ave., which will also house events beyond the July 22 opening, including a panel discussion with civic, arts and architectural leaders Aug. 6, and a YPG party Aug. 4. The exhibit, which will also display works of architectural photographers, runs through Aug. 21, but hours are limited for public viewing, so call ahead. AIA, (941) 362-9786.

Teen Scene

Having a top-ranked art and design school like the Ringling in town is great, especially when it develops programs for locals, like the summer teen studios. The sessions cover the basics of drawing, illustration and painting; also offered, computer-aided studies focused on Photoshop or Web design. The last two sessions begin July 11 and 18, and are a great chance to see your child's potential realized. $145 for intro courses for a week and $285 for the computer-aided sessions. Call (941) 955-8866 to enroll.

Start-Ups on State Street

Two new businesses, Urban Oasis Day Spa and State of the Arts Gallery, have put State Street back on our map. Los Angeles-born Linda Vincent and her sister, Rachel, opened Urban Oasis, a stylish space with stained concrete floors and state-of-the-art equipment. Next door, David Steiner and his wife, Tre Michel, have created a sleek new gallery space to exhibit his works and those of other Florida artists, with pieces ranging from photorealism to abstract expressionism. They're currently hosting Friday night "Summer of State" cocktail gatherings. Urban Oasis, 1517 State St., (941) 957-6400; State of the Arts, 1525 State St., (941) 955-2787.

Beach Recovery

Could Hollywood, Fla., come to rival its California equivalent? Not likely, but the Westin Diplomat Resort is attempting to rekindle the excitement that was created when they opened their original hotel there in the '50s. In addition to the luxurious 33-story steel and glass monolithic hotel, the beach is being restored after years of erosion. The hotel features an impressive golf and spa, but its location near Aventura Mall is the one of the property's best features. 3555 S. Ocean Drive, Hollywood, (954) 602-6000.